


Brightest in the Dark

by Neva_Borne



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: AtLA, Awkward Zuko, Bloodbending, Blue Spirit - Freeform, Blutara - Freeform, Cute, Dao Swords, F/M, Firebending, First Kiss, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Katara - Freeform, Mutual Pining, POV Alternating, Painted Lady - Freeform, Rebellion, Rebels, Secret Identity, The Blue Spirit - Freeform, The Painted Lady - Freeform, Tumblr Prompt, Vigilante, Waterbending, Zuko - Freeform, Zutara, Zutara Prompt, prompt, vigilantes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:28:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26260402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neva_Borne/pseuds/Neva_Borne
Summary: Rebels are causing problems within Caldera City and Zuko's council is being useless in terms of stopping it. Katara plans to deal with them herself as the Painted Lady and ends up teaming up with the Blue Spirit.
Relationships: Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 135





	1. The Blue Spirit

Six months after the war had ended, Zuko’s advisors were still fighting him nearly every step of the way whenever he suggested making a change that would benefit the common people and people of other nations. 

Six months after the war had ended, and the rebels who opposed Zuko’s reign, calling him a usurper, a traitor, an unqualified boy, were just beginning to form into organized groups and cause proper havoc within the Fire Nation.

Six months after the war had ended, and Team Avatar had long since disbanded: Sokka and Suki had left for the South Pole, Toph and Aang had left to spend time in the Earth Kingdom. Mai had left him as well, which he understood.

Six months after the war had ended, and Katara was the only one who had stayed with him. He had apparently been wrong in his assumption that she would leave with Aang. Apparently Aang had also been wrong, since the two of them had caused quite a commotion in the courtyard as they argued. 

She hadn’t mentioned it since, and Zuko hadn’t asked. She, in turn, hadn’t asked about Mai. 

He was glad she hadn’t left though. He had offered her the position of Ambassador, and she had accepted immediately. Although not experienced with the subtleties of official politics, she swiftly caught on to the way things worked within the Fire Nation, and whenever she spoke up, he was amazed at how people seemed to shut up and listen. 

“So, Governor Chen,” Zuko said, resisting the urge to rub his temples in frustration. “How do you propose we handle this latest rebel group?”

Governor Chen, a middle-aged man with a ridiculous mustache and sideburns large enough to make the late Zhao jealous, shrugged. “I believe they are harmless, for the moment, my Lord. I suggest we focus on more important things.”

Zuko frowned. “They are not harmless. They set fire to a warehouse last night.”

“An  _ empty  _ warehouse, my Lord.” Governor Chen said, as if that made a difference. “No one was hurt, and no supplies were lost.”

Zuko opened his mouth to reply, but Katara spoke first.

“It was an empty warehouse last night,” she said, her voice quiet but amazingly commanding. “But who is to say that it won’t be a full warehouse tomorrow? Or a factory full of workers? Perhaps they’ll target a hospital next. What then? Do we wait to apprehend them until innocent people have been hurt or killed?”

Governor Chen eyed Katara distastefully. He was one of the few who didn’t respect her. “Pardon me, but I do not think these rebels are to that point. If I did, I would advocate taking action against them. But we have other issues at hand-”

Katara held up a hand. “I am well aware of the other issues, as is, I’m sure, Fire Lord Zuko.” Her blue eyes were ice as she stared at the governor. “But  _ my  _ priority, and I believe Lord Zuko’s as well, is to protect the people of the Fire Nation. This includes protecting them from the fear and uncertainty that having rebel groups causes.”

She paused, and Zuko felt inexplicable warmth - the kind he always felt when Katara defended him and his people, or really whenever he looked at her - flood his body. 

“Perhaps it was just an empty warehouse. Perhaps these rebels won’t attack actual people. But setting fire to our buildings, burning supplies that are needed so that the poor don’t starve or die of preventable illnesses, is terrorism and it must be stamped out immediately. Otherwise, what message are we sending to  _ other  _ groups?”

The silence that followed her question was uncomfortable, as she stared at the governor and the governor glared back.

“I believe Master Katara asked you a question, Governor Chen.” Zuko said quietly, fighting the smirk that threatened to appear on his lips.

Governor Chen clenched his fists and jaw, eyes flickering between his Fire Lord and the Master waterbender that sat beside him. “I don’t know.” He managed, teeth gritted.

Katara raised her chin a fraction of an inch. “It tells them that we tolerate this kind of behavior, Governor. And if we allow that to happen, we will soon have a full scale rebellion on our hands with people much more dangerous than this one small group.”

“I. Suppose. So.” Governor Chen growled.

Katara broke into a bright grin and leaned back in her chair, and it suddenly felt as though the room became warmer, and the tension dissipated. “So you agree that something must be done about these rebels, immediately.”

“Yes.” Came the clipped reply.

“You will address her by her title.” Zuko narrowed his eyes.

Governor Chen swallowed, and Zuko could tell that the man did not appreciate being singled out like this in front of the council. 

“Yes, Master Katara.” He spat the words out and sat down in his seat.

“Outstanding,” Katara said brightly. “I look forward to hearing your plan when we reconvene.”

Zuko stood, slightly stiffly since he had been sitting all day, and surveyed his council. “We will break for lunch and return this afternoon. You are dismissed.”

He and Katara were the first to leave the stuffy, dark room, walking side-by-side as they made their way through the palace to the sunny balcony they usually ate their lunch at.

It had been six months since he had jumped in front of lightning for her, six months since he finally realized why betraying her in Ba Sing Se had made him feel so guilty, why he had fought so hard for her acceptance once he had joined the Avatar, why her smile made him feel invincible, why her touch sent electricity coursing through his veins. 

It had been six months since he had realized he was in love with her, and he hadn’t said anything. How could he? She was strong and beautiful, and he couldn’t risk losing her friendship if she didn’t feel the same way. She wasn’t like Mai. Losing Mai had hurt, but losing Katara would end him.

“Are you okay?” 

Her voice drew him back, and he sat down at the table on the balcony, feeling the cool air on his skin from the breeze. It smelled like rain, and the clouds that hung low in the sky seemed to promise that the afternoon would bring the ice cold storms that were typical of winter in the Fire Nation.

“Yeah,” he said, examining the food laid before them. “I was just lost in thought.”

“Hmm.” Katara muttered, picking up her chopsticks and swirling them around in her noodles. “Me too. I was thinking about the rebels.”

Zuko raised his eyebrow as he set a piece of komodo chicken in his mouth and chewed. “Really?”

Katara nodded, swallowing her bite of food before continuing. “I don’t think Governor Chen is going to handle them. I’m worried they’re going to escalate and that people could get hurt.”

He sighed. “That’s probably true. But there’s not much else I personally can do about it.”

Katara nodded again, as if accepting that. But her lips were twisted into that thoughtful look that she only ever got when she had a crazy idea.

“What are you thinking?” Zuko said, half resignedly, half amused.

She looked up guiltily. “Just… that we  _ could  _ handle it ourselves.”

For a moment, he thought about it. He imagined the looks on the rebels faces if the Fire Lord himself bore down on them and sent them to prison. 

It would be a good story, but the restrictions on his position as leader of the Fire Nation prevented him from doing it. 

He shook his head. “The Fire Lord and the Ambassador from the Southern Water Tribe hunting down a group of rebels? It’d make for a good story, but the people wouldn’t stand for me interfering like that. And they  _ certainly  _ wouldn’t stand for you being involved, being from another nation, and especially since ambassadors are supposed to be peaceful emissaries.”

Katara pursed her lips. She looked like she wanted to say something else, but bit her lip instead and looked down. “You’re right. It would be dangerous anyway.”

\---

The afternoon passed much as the morning had. Governor Chen had come up with a half-assed plan to track down the leaders of the rebel group, which satisfied no one, and the rest of the time was spent on the new education reforms that Zuko had insisted be pushed through as soon as possible.

Throughout the meeting, Zuko couldn’t help but think about what Katara had said over lunch. He had dismissed her idea then, and he was right. The Fire Lord  _ couldn’t  _ run around beating up rebel groups.

But that didn’t mean the Blue Spirit couldn’t.

When the meeting was finally over, and evening was falling on the palace, he and Katara retreated once more to the room with the balcony. It was too cold now to eat outside, and the rain was beginning to fall from the dark sky, but they sat inside and watched the storm as they ate.

They didn’t speak much, just a few comments making fun of some of Zuko’s other advisors, but the relative silence wasn’t uncomfortable. In fact, they often spent time together this way, just enjoying each other’s company and not worrying about coming up with topics for conversation.

The air felt heavier than usual, though, and Zuko watched Katara carefully. She hadn’t mentioned the rebels since Governor Chen’s useless plan had been accepted and the council had moved on, but Zuko had a feeling that they were still on her mind. She wasn’t the kind of person to back down on an idea, and she was fiercely protective of her people - which now included the Fire Nation. 

“When I was a kid, I always imagined that the Fire Nation was hot and dry all year round.” She said suddenly, her chin resting on her hand as she stared out the double doors at the storm.

Zuko glanced at her, feeling that fluttery sensation in his heart at the sight of her. Her long hair was loose, framing her dark face, the beads in her hair loopies glittering in the torchlight.

As soon as Zuko had offered her the position of ambassador, she had chosen to adopt some of the Fire Nation clothing styles, to better suit the weather, though she had insisted on the colors being blue and silver. The palace tailors had been more than happy to comply; most of the servants adored the waterbender who now lived there. Currently she was dressed in a long, pale blue gown made of the thick fabric they used for their winter outfits. The gown had long, teardrop sleeves; Zuko had noted silently that this style was usually reserved for Fire Nation royalty. The sash around her waist would traditionally be gold, but was silver and trimmed with dark blue instead. 

She looked stunning, as always.

“It’s a common misconception,” he mumbled, tearing his eyes away from her as he followed her gaze to the rain. “But aside from the poles and a few localized areas in the Earth Kingdom, we tend to get the most precipitation - at least in the winter.”

A small smile graced Katara’s lips. “I like it.”

He felt himself smile in return as he let his gaze drift back to her. “Me too.”

Katara turned her head and lowered her hand from her chin as she met his gaze across the table. Her blue eyes were bright as she continued to smile at him.

“I think I’m going to get some sleep.”

“Good idea. We should be as rested as possible for the Winter Festival tomorrow.” Zuko sighed, standing up as she did the same.

She nodded, but said nothing, and Zuko narrowed his eyes at her. He couldn’t shake the feeling that she was planning something. She didn’t seem tired, and as a waterbender, she was usually energized by storms or at night. 

They parted ways at her bedroom door; he had actually given her a room in the same hallway as his own, since he liked the idea of her being close by, as she had been during their travels. She was also a more permanent member of his staff than many of the other ambassadors, who came by only when they needed something for their nations, so giving her a better room had made sense.

Once inside his own bedroom, Zuko immediately pulled off the ridiculously heavy outer layer of his robes. He almost missed being an outcast in the Earth Kingdom, not required to wear the frivolous finery of the Fire Lord. 

His mind drifted, once again, to the rebels. He wondered what they were up to tonight. Would the rain put them off? It might prevent them from lighting another fire. But somehow, he didn’t think it would stop them.

Padding across his room to his closet, he unlocked the chest he kept tucked away in the back and dug through it until he found what he was looking for.

The blue and white mask grinned up at him from its position on top of a set of black clothes.


	2. The Painted Lady

Six months after the war had ended, Katara was surprised to find herself thinking of the Fire Nation as home. The heat of the summer had dissipated, replaced by the cool rains of winter, but it wasn’t as dangerously or deathly cold as the South Pole. There was no need for a sealskin parka lined with polar bear fur here in Caldera City, and she had actually taken to the Fire Nation fashion. In  _ her  _ colors, of course.

Six months after the war had ended, and Katara was working to help restore peace and balance to the Fire Nation and, by extension, the world. It was perfect for her. She had struggled for a while, when Zuko was healing and the future was still uncertain, on what she planned to do. The South Pole seemed too small for her now, especially since her father and Sokka would return to rebuild it. And then Zuko had offered her a job and she had taken it immediately, knowing it was the right thing to do.

Six months after the war had ended, and Katara had yet to build up the courage to tell Zuko how she felt about him. Every night as she fell asleep, she dreamed about the Agni Kai, about the lightning that streaked towards her through the sky, the wild look in Azula’s amber eyes as she laughed, and Zuko jumping in front of it for her and catching it and being burned from the inside out. 

It hadn’t been until that moment that she realized that she loved him, though when she looked back at their time together, she knew that her feelings had been developing for a while. It had started so casually. He would help her cook and clean and make sure the others didn’t get into trouble - things she had previously had to handle on her own - and he was always the one she went to when she had a problem. They had spent more than a few nights on Ember Island just walking along the beach and talking. Talking about their pasts, their mothers, their history together. They had worked past it all.

But it had been six months and she hadn’t said a word, afraid that if she did, she would lose her best friend and her new home. She could return to Sokka and the rest of her family in the South Pole, but she knew it wouldn’t be the same. 

_ She  _ wasn’t the same. And she didn’t want to lose Zuko’s friendship, the way she had lost Aang’s. 

She hadn’t heard a word from him since their somewhat public breakup - if you could call it that, since they had never actually been together - despite her having sent several letters, hoping to apologize and rekindle their friendship. It hurt to think that he wanted nothing to do with her now. She loved him very much. Just not in the way he wanted her to.

So she was afraid. Afraid that Zuko wouldn’t feel the same, and afraid that telling him how she felt would make him uncomfortable and ruin the friendship they had worked so hard for.

The meeting that day had been anything but productive. Her argument with Governor Chen had certainly not put her in a good mood, and even after he proposed his half-baked plan to defeat the rebels, she held no respect for him. 

She had only half paid attention to the rest of the meeting, lost in thought about what she might do about the rebels instead. Zuko had rejected her plan of the two of them tracking them down themselves; she knew this was probably for the best, but she couldn’t just sit idly by. Besides, Zuko didn’t know about her secret identity. 

The Painted Lady hadn’t made an appearance since she had destroyed the factory and helped the little fishing village, but Katara had kept her outfit and paint locked away in a box under her bed, ready in case she ever needed them. She didn’t think the spirit would mind if she donned her disguise again, in order to prevent innocent people from getting hurt.

She was still lost in thought all throughout dinner, and she knew Zuko was watching her carefully. He was intelligent and she could tell that he knew she was thinking about doing  _ something.  _ She only hoped that he didn’t think she was going to go through with her plan to hunt down the rebels herself.

Once inside her bedroom, she waited a few minutes to make sure Zuko had moved on to his own bedroom before rushing over to her bed and pulling the box out from underneath. The box itself had actually been a gift from Sokka before he’d left. He and the Mechanist had worked on making a lock that could only be undone with waterbending. It had worked perfectly, and Katara had immediately placed her secret identity inside to prevent a snooping maid from accidentally discovering it.

She stripped out of her long, Fire Nation gown and donned the red outfit that she had worn while in disguise in the Fire Nation before the war had ended. It wasn’t a perfect match for the spirit herself, of course, but it had worked well enough last time. It was a summer outfit though, and even with the purple robe on top, leaving her shoulders bare, she was a little bit colder than she would have preferred. 

She moved to the mirror, looking at herself critically before pulling her hair loopies out and removing the blue beads; they were a dead giveaway, and she needed to look as Fire Nation Spirit-like as possible to avoid having her identity revealed. 

With the hair loopies gone and her hair restyled into a loose Fire Nation style that cascaded down her back, she reached around her neck and unclasped her mother’s necklace. It was another dead giveaway, and even if it weren’t, she didn’t want it to get lost or broken.

The red paint she had used last time had come off when it got wet; she had searched the markets of every town they had visited since then to find body paint that required some vigorous washing before it would come off. She’d finally found some in a slightly sketchy tattoo shop in one of the outermost Fire Nation islands. 

Applying it took some time, and she had just finished her shoulders when she heard the voice.

“I should have known it was you.”

She stood and turned simultaneously, dropping her brush on the vanity and pulling water from the waterskin slung around her waist, holding it in a defensive position as her eyes found the source of the voice.

A figure, dressed in black from head to toe, leaned nonchalantly against the wall next to her balcony doors, arms crossed over his chest. A blue and white mask gleamed in the darkness, completely concealing his face, and a set of Dao swords was slung across his shoulders.

The Blue Spirit.

Katara narrowed her eyes as her heart raced in her chest. Something was oddly familiar about him, about his clothes, the way he carried himself, his voice. She straightened up out of her low, defensive position, but kept her water circling around her hands as she regarded the Blue Spirit critically.

Then a thought struck her. 

The swords. The clothes. The voice.

“Zuko?” She breathed, brows furrowed in confusion.

He reached up and tipped the mask up so it rested on his head and revealed his face, simultaneously pulling the black cloth down from his mouth. He grinned at her.

“Katara.”

She stared at him, unsure what to say. What exactly was she supposed to say? It wasn’t like she had run into this situation very often, discovering that her best friend has a secret identity. 

Zuko saved her from having to think of anything.

“I knew you were planning something.” He said softly, moving further into the room. 

“It was that obvious?” She asked, a bit disappointed in herself.

“No, not really.” He admitted. “But I know you well enough to know when something’s different with you.”

Her heart fluttered, despite herself, and she blinked at him. She hadn’t realized that he paid that much attention to her.

“How long have you been the Blue Spirit?” 

He shrugged. “Since always. I took up the mantle when I needed to get away from… being the banished prince. The legends are mostly false, though.”

She suddenly remembered his skill in stealth when they had been tracking down Yon Rha and everything made sense. She had always wondered why a prince - even a banished one - would be so good with swords and sneaking around. 

Now she knew.

“How long have you been the Painted Lady?”

“Since I blew up a factory that was polluting a river and causing a fishing village to starve.” She admitted, bending her water back into her waterskin.

He nodded. “I had a feeling that wasn’t the work of an actual spirit.”

She flushed slightly and sat back down, picking up her brush again. “Well, I hope you’re not planning on trying to stop me.”

“I don’t think I could, even if I wanted to.” He chuckled. “I was hoping to join you, actually. Governor Chen’s plan is stupid.”

Katara met his gaze through the mirror as she lifted her brush to her face, painting on the signature stripes of red. Despite herself, she smiled. “Why not? A partner might be a big help.”

He remained silent as she finished painting the red stripes and moved on to the yellow moon on her forehead, but she could feel his heavy gaze as he watched her, and when she glanced up now and then, his golden eyes were always shining brightly back at her, though he’d replaced the black cloth over his nose and mouth.

“Alright, ready to go?” Katara asked finally.

She placed the large rice hat over her head and arranged the white mesh so that it fell around her completely. She had been barefoot the last time she had played this role, but she had opted for a pair of light leather boots this time. They were concealed from view by the flowing purple robe, and they’d protect her as they made their way through the city.

Zuko nodded, pulling his mask back down over his face. She could just barely see the golden flash of his eyes through the slits in the mask when he looked at her, but there was no way anyone would ever guess that the masked figure was the Fire Lord himself. 

“Let’s go.”


	3. The Mission

Six months after the war had ended, a pair of figures in dark clothes, one with a gleaming blue and white mask and the other with a large rice hat, snuck out of the Fire Nation Royal Palace and through the gardens. Their footsteps were silent on the sodden grass, their movements swift and precise. They were completely silent, but they worked in perfect synchrony, neither one of them doubting the other. When the masked figure ducked behind a large bush near the wall, the other one followed instantly.

Six months after the war had ended, a guard patrolling the gardens passed by the bush, glancing around with a bored expression on his face. Nothing was amiss. It was just another night for him, and he was looking forward to a few hours from now when his replacement would come and he could return to the barracks and get out of the chill of the rain. 

The two mysterious figures made their way into the city, sticking beside the walls of the palace and the nearby buildings, until the masked one paused, pointing up at the roof of what looked to be a warehouse building. 

The woman beside him nodded in silent understanding, and the pair made their way to the wall. A soundless wave of water suddenly rose beneath their feet, carrying them high into the air and depositing them safely onto the roof of the building. They moved off once again, their boots making barely a sound on the shingles.

They finally stopped atop the roof of another building and crouched down, peering into the streets below them. 

“This is in the general area they’ve targeted before,” hissed the Blue Spirit before he pointed at a charred building to their left. “That’s what they burned down last night.”

“Do you think they’ll risk coming back here again, with the increased guard?” The Painted Lady murmured back, her blue eyes roaming around in the darkness. 

“I’m not sure.” Zuko admitted. “But this is the warehouse district so if their plan is to target another one, full or not, it won’t be far from here.”

Katara squinted down into the streets. It was hard to see through the rain. Streetlamps sent weak light flickering down to the cobbles below, but it just served to distort her vision even more. 

Her heart was pounding in her chest. Adrenaline rushed through her veins; she could hardly believe she was out here, sitting on a rooftop in the Fire Nation capital with the Fire Lord beside her. Only tonight, they weren’t the Fire Lord and the Water Tribe Ambassador. Tonight they were the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady, and she felt incredibly, terrifyingly alive.

“There.” Zuko pointed.

Katara followed his finger, catching sight of the figure just before he disappeared down a side alley. Wordlessly, she and Zuko crept along the roofs, leaping to the next one over in order to follow the mysterious figure. 

They caught sight of him once more, turning down another alley. He seemed to be heading towards the edge of the warehouse district, probably to strike at one of the warehouses that wasn’t as heavily guarded as the ones closer to their previous hit. 

She couldn’t hear anything except the rain and her heartbeat pounding in her ears, but Zuko’s presence, warm and solid, beside her gave her comfort and confidence. Whatever danger these rebels posed, she knew that she and Zuko would be able to watch each other’s backs. 

The man they were following paused at a dark intersection. The lamp that was supposed to be lit there was burned out, and Katara wondered if perhaps they had planned ahead for this to be so because as soon as the man stepped beneath it, three other men appeared from dark shadows. 

Zuko crouched down, and Katara pressed herself down beside him. She shivered, partially from the cold water streaming down her back and soaking into her clothes, but mostly from the adrenaline rushing through her. 

“There’s guards everywhere tonight.”

The words carried up to them, muffled from the rain. They came from the man they had just followed.

Another man shrugged. “We figured that would happen. Who cares?”

A smaller figure, jittery and shivering as he hugged himself and hopped from foot to foot, spoke then. “W-what if we get caught?”

The second man shrugged again. “So what if we do? The Fire Lord is a pansy. Everyone knows that. Worst thing he’ll do is chuck us in prison for a few months.”

Katara felt Zuko tense beside her and glanced at him, but the mask concealed his expression from view. 

“Come on,” said the first man. “We should get going. This rain isn’t going to let up, but the inside of that warehouse will burn just fine.”

The four men slunk off together through the dark streets, headed for the warehouses nearer the harbor.

“I think they’re going after the warehouse that holds medical supplies.” Zuko hissed as they made their way along the roofs in pursuit of the rebels. 

“So we have to stop them.” Katara whispered back.

“Yes…” Zuko hesitated. “But we also need to find their leaders if we’re going to really put a stop to this. Catching four goons isn’t going to accomplish anything.”

“Right. And how do you propose we do that  _ and _ prevent your city’s entire supply of medicine from being destroyed?” Katara muttered, frowning down at the men they were following.

She knew it was important to catch the rebel leaders, but she knew it was equally important to prevent tonight’s attack, too. A city without medical supplies would be an unhappy one, and Zuko’s reign would be called into even more doubt.

“I don’t know.” He admitted, and Katara felt guilty as she realized that he didn’t really know anything more about this group than she did.

They were silent the rest of the way, and stopped when the men did. 

Zuko had been right - they were right in front of the medical warehouse. The four men they had followed were joined by three more, holding barrels of what Katara assumed was either blasting jelly or some sort of flammable liquid. None of them held torches, so at least one of them had to be a firebender.

“I’m going to challenge them.” Zuko said. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and a leader will present himself, or they’ll run away and lead us to them.”

Katara glanced at him. “I’ll protect you.”

The grinning mask turned to her and she saw the flash of his eyes. “Stay up here, out of sight.”

She nodded, and watched as Zuko crept slowly across the roof until he disappeared from her sight. She didn’t like being separated from him, but she knew it was safer. She shouldn’t be seen using her waterbending unless she couldn’t avoid it. The Painted Lady was a water spirit, but rumors might spread and suspicion might fall on the only waterbender in the Fire Nation.

The men were whispering together, but the rain drowned out their words. Katara crept a little closer, so she could better see them and the warehouse.

Just then, she saw Zuko slip down from the roof and come to stand between the rebels and the warehouse. His swords were drawn, held lightly and confidently in his hands.

“Holy Spirits!” One of the men exclaimed, jumping slightly as he caught sight of the gleaming mask and dark figure. 

The other men turned as Katara smirked at their reaction. If they were spooked by his appearance, they would be easy opponents. 

The Blue Spirit regarded them silently, as if waiting for them to speak.

“Who are you?” The largest man asked.

The Blue Spirit said nothing. 

“Get the hell away from here!” The man growled. “If you know what’s good for you.”

Still the Blue Spirit said nothing. 

Katara caught the flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. A smaller man had drawn a knife from within his robes and was holding it out threateningly, as if prepared to throw it.

“Last chance.” The large man growled again.

The Blue Spirit almost seemed to sigh resignedly, but still did not move or speak.

The dagger flashed through the air, headed directly for Zuko’s chest, but it never hit its mark. Instead, it stopped midair, suspended about a foot away from its target. The Blue Spirit didn’t even flinch.

Katara smirked, holding her hand out as she controlled the rain around the knife, holding it in the air. She could see the confused fear on the men’s faces and felt a wave of satisfaction wash over her. Then she twisted her wrist, and the knife twisted in the air, flying back towards the men, seemingly of its own accord. She didn’t want to kill them, but she sent it whizzing close by them to bury itself in the wooden frame of the building behind them.

The men took several steps backwards, away from Zuko. 

“Who the hell are you?” The large man asked again, his voice shaking this time.

“I-I t-think it’s the B-blue Spirit!” Stammered the smaller, shaky man from earlier. 

“And what,” said a new voice, “is the Blue Spirit doing here?”

From the shadows stepped another figure. Smaller in height and stature, and quite clearly feminine. Her hair was done up in a neat bun on her head. Her face was, boldly, free of concealment. 

Judging by her more controlled demeanor, Katara guessed she was higher ranking in the rebel group than the men they had been following. 

She felt uneasy too, since the woman had seemed to come out of nowhere, and that meant that it was possible there were others surrounding them in the streets.

Zuko said nothing, but finally slid into a defensive position, one sword raised above his shoulder, the other wrapped around his side. The movement was liquid and effortless, and the gleaming mask regarded the group blankly.

The woman didn’t seem impressed. “Kill him.” 

Emboldened by the woman’s presence, the seven men approached Zuko. Most of them drew weapons of some kind, but two of them approached with the standard firebending position. So, they were benders, but probably not particularly skilled. 

Still, it wouldn’t do for the Blue Spirit to be revealed as a firebender, if they could help it, so Katara tensed, readying herself to extinguish the flames if need be.

She needn’t have worried. The men were unskilled, both with bending and with weapons, and a few dizzyingly fast strokes of Zuko’s swords sent them reeling back, most of them unconscious or wounded. The two men still standing turned and fled; Katara summoned a couple of quick water whips and knocked them both unconscious, out of sight of the woman and the other men. 

The woman watched Zuko’s display of skill with a bored expression on her face, as if she had expected it. 

“I didn’t realize that the Blue Spirit worked for the Fire Lord.” She sighed. “Last I heard, you were a rebel, fighting against the Fire Nation. What changed?”

Katara smiled to herself, knowing full well what had changed. 

“Never mind,” the woman sighed again, with the Blue Spirit remained silent, swords at the ready. “I’ll handle you myself.”

She stepped forward and a powerful blast of flame shot from her fist. Zuko ducked out of the way, maneuvering closer to the woman, but the woman was fast and quickly adjusted her position, sending blasts of fire in an endless barrage toward Zuko. Unable to use his bending, it was harder for Zuko to avoid and deflect the blasts, though he was succeeding so far.

The woman narrowed her eyes and swept her foot out in front of her, sending a ring of fire at Zuko’s feet. He leapt to avoid it, but lost his balance upon landing as she sent another blast of flame in his direction. He scrambled to his feet and backed away from her, blocking each of her fire blasts with his swords, but he was clearly on the defensive, and she wasn’t allowing him to get the upper hand.

When the woman had backed Zuko into a corner, Katara could stand by no longer. She sat up slightly from her concealed position on the roof - still not visible to those below her - and reached out with her mind, searching for the liquid she needed.

There was one form of waterbending she could use without it being obvious. It was a form of bending she’d used just twice before, and she knew that most of her friends found it horrifying. Aang had made her promise never to use it.

But Zuko had understood, and he would understand now. Because he was counting on her to protect him, and this was the only way she could without revealing her identity as a waterbender. 

The woman, who had been advancing on Zuko, suddenly froze. Her eyes went wide as her body began to twitch, as she fought against Katara’s control of her. Confusion and fear were obvious on her face as Katara brought her to her knees and Zuko, no longer needing to defend himself against the onslaught of fire, sheathed his swords and stepped forward, pulling a length of rope from his belt and wrapping it around the woman’s hands.

Once she was properly contained by more normal methods, Katara released her hold over her, and the woman began flailing around desperately, trying to break free.

“Who the hell are you?” She shrieked. “You’re some kind of demon! Some monster!”

Katara stood up then and, using the rain that was still trickling down from the sky, seemed to float to the ground, landing soundlessly on the wet cobblestones, her robe billowing behind her.

“We are the spirits who protect this city.” She said, making her voice as deep and ominous as she could, glad for the rain that made her voice seem to echo against the water and wet stones. 

The woman’s eyes went wide at the sight of her, and Katara kept her face impassive, her hat tipped down to conceal her eyes. 

“You have attempted to upset the delicate balance of this city and the world, and you will be held accountable.” She raised her hand, slowly, and twisted, sending a water whip up behind the woman and knocking her unconscious as she had done to the other men who had tried to run. 

“Hey!” 

A loud voice came from an alley off to the side and Katara and Zuko both turned in its direction. The light of a torch was quickly approaching them, accompanied by the sound of several pairs of boots. 

Glancing at each other, they turned without a word and disappeared down an alley in the opposite direction of the approaching guards. Once concealed by darkness and several random turns down other side streets, they clambered onto the roofs once more and paused to catch their breath.

“It’s probably best the guards find them now, anyway.” Zuko panted, glancing back in the direction of the medical warehouse. “They’ve got enough incriminating evidence with them that they’ll be brought in.”

Katara nodded, taking several deep breaths to steady her breathing and slow her rapid heart rate. Then, when she had recovered enough to not be panting, she looked at Zuko. 

He was watching her through the mask, but he didn’t say anything. He hesitated for a moment, then moved off across the rooftops, and she followed.

She was shivering violently by the time they reached the palace wall again. The rain had finally stopped and she had paused long enough to pull the water from her soaked clothes, but the chill had already seeped into her skin down to her bones, and she was freezing. 

Zuko clearly noticed, since he paused by the palace wall and grabbed her hand, pulling her down next to him. 

Katara’s heart jolted at the unexpected touch, at the burning heat of his hand compared to hers. Her eyes met his through the mask and she swallowed, feeling that ridiculous fluttery feeling in her stomach return.

“We’re almost back inside.” He whispered. “Once we’re back, I’ll warm you up, okay?”

Her cheeks flushed at his words. She wondered if he even knew how that had sounded to her ears, but she just nodded. She was shaking too much to speak anyway.

He held onto her hand as he led her through the wall and they came out into the garden behind the bush they had disappeared into earlier. He didn’t let go, even as they crossed the garden, as silently as they had earlier that night, even as they snuck into the palace and made their way through the halls, utilizing the servant halls that were mostly concealed within the walls. 

He didn’t let go even once they were inside her bedroom. And now Katara was shaking because he was still touching her, and she didn’t want him to stop. 

He pulled off his mask and set it on her vanity before pulling down the cloth in front of his mouth. Then he reached up and gently removed her hat, setting it down as well. 

Her heart was pounding as she stared at him. His eyes, always bright, were burning intensely, like little mini suns, and he was staring at her, a look of… admiration? on his face.

“You were… amazing, Katara.” He exhaled, and she felt his hand squeeze hers.

“So were you.” She managed, swallowing against all the emotions she felt at that moment.

“When you came floating down through the air…” Zuko said, pulling down his hood and running a hand through his hair. His eyes never left her face. “It was… it was magical, Katara. It was the most beautiful, ethereal thing I’ve ever seen.”

She blinked and opened her mouth to say something, but Zuko brought his hand up to her cheek, and the heat of his skin felt so good on hers, and the shock of the touch halted any words that she had been about to speak.

_ “You  _ were beautiful, Katara.” He said, and she suddenly became aware of how close he was to her. “You  _ are  _ beautiful. I… I’ve been afraid. To say anything. But tonight… I just… I can’t-”

Whatever he had been about to say, Katara would never know because it was at that point that she flung her arms around him and pulled him closer, rising up onto her toes to press her lips to his.

Her heart raced at the boldness of her actions, and for a moment she thought that perhaps she had misunderstood, as Zuko stood motionless and unresponsive. But then he moved as well, pulling her closer to himself in turn, his lips moving gently but desperately against hers.

When they finally parted, she didn’t feel cold anymore, and his eyes… If she’d thought they’d been bright before, they were now glowing so much it almost hurt to look at them.

He stared at her, as if not quite believing what had just happened, and she flushed a deep shade of red.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.” She confessed, dropping her gaze to the floor.

His fingers moved around to her chin and lifted it so she was looking at him again. He was blushing too, she realized, and he was smiling at her like she’d never seen him smile before.

“Me too.” He admitted, and leaned down to press a softer, less desperate kiss on her lips, resting a hand on her waist as the other still squeezed her hand. But then he hesitated, and Katara’s heart stuttered.

He traced his thumb over his knuckles as he looked down. “Are you… is this what you want? Being with me means… our relationship would be very political, very… public.”

Katara rested her hand on his cheek - his left cheek - and he looked up immediately. Her heart jolted again at the expression in his eyes. She knew she was the only one he’d ever allowed to touch his scar. 

“That doesn’t bother me.” She said softly. “So long as it’s okay with you.”

He smiled, the worry disappearing from his face. “It’s more than okay with me.” He said, and pulled her close once more.


	4. Finally

Six months after the war had ended, on the day of the Winter Festival, Zuko was roused early from his bed, much to his chagrin. He barely had time for his servant to pull his hair into a topknot, slide his crown into place, and help him into his Fire Lord robes before he was being pushed out the door to attend an emergency council meeting. 

When he arrived, his advisors were all sitting there, some looking more disheveled than he felt. His heart stuttered in his chest as he briefly met Katara’s gaze. She had bags under her eyes, and her hair was completely loose as it cascaded down her shoulders in wild curls. Clearly they hadn’t given her time to do anything other than dress.

He sat in his chair and stared out at his advisors. “So, what is this all about?”

Governor Chen stood. “My Lord,” he said, a grim expression on his lips. “It appears the guards have apprehended eight rebels, one of whom looks to be the leader or, at least, quite high up the chain of command.”

Zuko raised an eyebrow, fighting off the smirk that he felt twitching on his lips. “So soon? That is quite admirable. How were they caught?”

Governor Chen glanced at Commander Lin Jee, who oversaw the city and palace guards. “It… appears,” he muttered through gritted teeth, “that the guards found them incapacitated with their supplies for burning down another warehouse scattered around them.”

“Incapacitated?” Piped up Katara, and Zuko had to bite his tongue to fight a smile. “How so?”

Commander Lin Jee stood then. “Master Katara,” he began, nodded in respect to her. “My guards reported seeing two figures running from the scene upon their arrival. One appeared to have a blue and white mask, and the other had a flowing robe and large hat.” He glanced at Zuko. “My guards were unable to apprehend them, but it appears that the vigilante Blue Spirit has returned, and he has a partner.”

Zuko stole a glance at Katara, whose expression was impressively neutral. 

“So it seems,” he said, feigning a sigh. “Although, perhaps this is good news if he is helping us capture the rebels.”

Lin Jee frowned slightly. “Perhaps. But we do not know his motives, and as such, we are treating him as a threat. A rogue. The guards have been instructed to look out for him from now on.”

Zuko nodded. “Excellent. I trust you will be able to handle the situation.” He glanced around the room as Lin Jee and Chen sat down. “Now, if there’s no other business from all of you, may I suggest we disband for the day and enjoy the festival?”

Murmurs of ascent filled the room, and Zuko stood, offering his hand to Katara. She took it, and he felt his heart skip a beat. He intertwined their fingers as they left the room together, rumblings of shock and confusion following them, though none of his advisors dared to question their actions.

“Katara,” he said, almost thoughtfully, as they left the room. “Have you ever been to a proper Fire Nation festival?”

She shook her head and grinned up at him. “No, I don’t believe I have.”

“Well then,” Zuko grinned back. “Let’s go have some fun.”

Six months after the war had ended, six months after he had taken lightning for the beautiful girl in blue, he was finally holding her hand. 

Six months after the war had ended, he could finally admit to the world that he was in love with Katara.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story came as yet another Tumblr prompt! Obviously this involved much more than the other ones I wrote for, since context was important here. I hope I did the prompt justice!
> 
> I've never written about Zuko and Katara in their secret identities before, so this was pretty fun and different! I liked being able to have them sneak around in the rain!
> 
> Thank you so much for the prompt and for reading!


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